Intermittent fasting has become an incredibly popular diet and lifestyle approach based on restricting eating to set windows of time. Apps like Simple and Noom can help you successfully stick to intermittent fasting.
Simple provides a streamlined fasting timer and meal logging app specifically for intermittent fasters. It focuses solely on helping you time your fasts.
Noom offers more comprehensive intermittent fasting support within a broader weight loss and lifestyle change program. You get a human coach, social support, and extensive educational content.
This article compares Simple and Noom in-depth on features, approach, pros and cons, and overall value. Read on to determine which intermittent fasting app may be the best fit for your needs and preferences.
Here is an in-depth comparison of Simple and Noom when it comes to supporting your intermittent fasting journey:
Key Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | Simple | Noom |
| Cost | Free version available with limited features. Paid subscription is $59.99/year | Free 14 day trial then $129/6 months or $199/year |
| Fasting window tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Meal logging | Yes | Yes |
| Food database | Simple’s own with 4M+ items | Comprehensive with 6M+ items |
| Macros tracking | No | Yes |
| Activity tracking | Manual only | Syncs with apps and devices |
| Coaching | No live coaching, AI coach tips only | Paired with a personal human coach |
| Community support | Discussion groups only | Groups, friends, posts |
| Content library | Limited articles and recipes | Extensive courses and articles |
| Integration with wearables | No | Yes with Apple Watch, Fitbit etc |
| Weight loss focus | Primary focus | Yes but more holistic |
As you can see from the table, Simple and Noom share some core intermittent fasting tracking features like the ability to log your fasting hours and meals. However, Noom provides a much more robust set of tools overall beyond intermittent fasting like macro/calorie tracking, activity syncing, human coaching, and content. Simple is more narrowly focused just on intermittent fasting.
Key Differences Between Simple And Noom Intermittent Fasting Apps
While Simple and Noom both offer intermittent fasting tracking, their approaches differ quite significantly:
Fasting and Meal Logging
- Simple offers basic fasting window tracking and meal logging with minimal features. You can log meals by searching Simple’s database of 4 million foods.
- Noom provides more advanced fasting and meal logging. You can log meals via barcode scan, create custom foods not in the database, enter exact macros and calories, and see rich nutrition breakdowns.
Coaching and Community
- Simple has no human coaching. There is just an intermittent fasting guide and community discussion groups for Q&A (paid only).
- Noom pairs you with a dedicated human coach who sets your fasting plan, monitors progress, answers questions, and keeps you motivated via in-app messaging. There is also a broader social community.
Education and Content
- Simple provides a basic intermittent fasting FAQ/guide and some community content. But educational materials are very limited.
- Noom offers an extensive curriculum of daily courses and articles covering diet, exercise, psychology, sleep, and more. The education is personalized to you.
Customization and Integration
- Simple offers no custom fitness, macro, or calorie tracking. There is also no syncing with wearables or other apps.
- Noom allows custom tracking of macros, calories, and weight. You can also connect apps like MyFitnessPal and sync activity from Apple Watch, Fitbit, and more.
Price and Value
- Simple is free to try with a $59.99/year subscription for full access. It provides simple fasting tracking at a low cost.
- Noom costs $129 for 6 months or $199/year. It is expensive but provides a comprehensive weight loss and lifestyle program.
In summary, if you want basic fasting tracking on a budget, Simple is the better pick. But Noom offers a more customizable and guided experience for a premium price.
Now let’s dive into a detailed comparison review of using Simple vs Noom for intermittent fasting…
Simple App Overview
Simple is a free intermittent fasting app developed specifically for tracking your fasting windows and meals during intermittent fasting. With Simple, you can:
- Choose from 7 different intermittent fasting plans including 16:8, 18:6, 20:4, One Meal a Day (OMAD), and more.
- Set up daily reminders for your eating and fasting hours.
- Log meals by searching Simple’s database of 4 million+ foods.
- View fasting hour and meal logging insights and trends over time.
- Access Simple’s intermittent fasting guide and FAQ library.
- Join intermittent fasting discussion groups (in the paid version only).
The Simple app aims to provide a streamlined experience for intermittent fasters who just need the basics to stick to their plan.
There are no complex features like calorie counting, macro tracking, or weight loss content.
Simple is essentially just an intermittent fasting timer app with some meal logging capabilities.
The free version of Simple lets you track one intermittent fasting plan, while the paid subscription ($59.99/year) enables tracking multiple plans, meal photos, access to the groups, and custom fasting hour reminders.
Overall, Simple is best for intermittent fasters who want a barebones app just for timing their eating and fasting windows. Power users who want additional analytics, coaching, and customization will have to upgrade to the paid plan.
Simple App Pros
- Streamlined and intuitive intermittent fasting timer.
- Easy meal logging with large food database.
- Insights into fasting and meal trends over time.
- Affordable paid subscription for extra features.
- Active intermittent fasting community in discussion groups (paid only).
Simple App Cons
- Very limited free version.
- No macro/calorie tracking or fitness integration.
- Minimal educational content on intermittent fasting.
- No human coaching or customization.
Noom App Overview
Noom takes a very different approach to intermittent fasting support compared to Simple. Noom is focused on overall weight loss and healthy living, with intermittent fasting support being just one part of its comprehensive program.
With Noom, you get:
- A personalized intermittent fasting plan recommended to you by a human coach.
- Tracking for fasting hours, meals, macros, calories, and weight.
- Connection to wearable devices and fitness apps to sync activity.
- An extensive library of courses and articles on healthy living topics and psychology.
- Support groups, social posts, and ability to interact with other users.
- A dedicated human coach who guides and motivates you.
Unlike Simple which is self-guided, Noom emphasizes personalization and human coaching as the pillars of its program. Your coach sets intermittent fasting recommendations based on your goals, checks in on your progress, monitors your tracking, and keeps you motivated. You also have access to extensive educational content on broader wellness and psychology topics to inform your journey.
Noom costs $129 for a 6 month plan or $199 for a full year, with a free 14 day trial. So it is a much more significant investment than Simple, but provides far more personalized support.
Noom App Pros
- Personalized intermittent fasting plan and human coaching.
- Robust fasting, food, and fitness tracking.
- Extensive educational content and lessons.
- Active social community of users.
- Customizable to any diet or lifestyle with coach guidance.
Noom App Cons
- Expensive subscription cost.
- Can feel overwhelming with so many features.
- Hit-or-miss customer support.
- Limited food database compared to MyFitnessPal or LoseIt!
Frequently Asked Questions About Simple and Noom
The Simple app is free to download and use with limited functionality. The paid subscription unlocks access to discussion groups, custom reminders, multi-plan support and costs $59.99 per year.
Simple is specifically an intermittent fasting app, not a general dieting app. It works very well for tracking fasting windows and meals when doing intermittent fasting, but does not offer nutrition coaching or weight loss content beyond just intermittent fasting info. For supporting intermittent fasting itself, Simple is a great app. But it is not a full diet and fitness solution.
Based on user reviews and engagement, Noom, MyFitnessPal, and Lose It! seem to be some of the most successful all-in-one diet and fitness apps. Noom specifically has very high user engagement and satisfaction thanks to the human coaching element. But it depends on what exactly you are looking to track and manage as part of your diet.
For a full-featured free intermittent fasting app, Simple is likely the best bet. It lets you track multiple fasting plans and meals without paying. Zero is another top free intermittent fasting app. Most other intermittent fasting apps will require a paid subscription to get full functionality.
The Bottom Line
Intermittent fasting can be a highly effective and sustainable weight loss and health solution if you use the right app to build the routine. Both Simple and Noom have their strengths and ideal user base.
Simple fulfills the need for minimalist intermittent fasters who just need timers and meal tracking. Noom provides coaching and customization for those wanting maximum guidance.
Hopefully, this detailed comparison helps provide clarity on which intermittent fasting app aligns best with your needs. Stay consistent, listen to your body, and leverage technology like Simple or Noom to form lasting intermittent fasting habits.
Consistency is key to seeing the wonderful benefits intermittent fasting has to offer.